Career: Johnson already has 10 career
interceptions -- six in 2009 and four as a freshman -- to rank
eighth in school history (the school record is 18). His 185 career
tackles are just 21 from earning a position on EWU’s top 25
career leaders list (the school record is 399). He has started 23
career games -- the most by any returning Eastern player.

2010: Named as a preseason second team All-Big
Sky selection by the Phil Steele College Football Preview Magazine.
Listed as a starter at strong safety on EWU’s preseason depth
chart. Did not participate in spring practices because of a
shoulder injury.

2009: Earned honorable mention All-Big Sky
Conference honors. He finished with 102 tackles to rank as the
17th-most in school history, and his average of 8.2 per game was
74th in FCS. He also led the Big Sky and ranked 13th in FCS in
interceptions (0.50 per game, six total). He intercepted four
passes against Portland State (10/31/09), tying the Big Sky
Conference record shared by two other players. As a result, he was
selected as the Sports Network National Defensive Player of the
Week, a College Sporting News National All-Star and was the Big Sky
Defensive Player of the Week after leading Eastern to a commanding
33-4 halftime lead. The four picks were the most interceptions in a
game by a Big Sky player in 20 years and the most by an Eagle in
23. But Johnson’s performance wasn’t a school record as
he came one pick short of EWU’s school record of five set in
1986 by Mark Cordes against Boise State -- a year before Eastern
became a league member. Johnson helped Eastern’s defense hold
PSU without a touchdown as Eastern had a 545-278 advantage in total
offense. A year earlier in a 47-36 Portland State win, the Vikings
passed for 623 yards and five touchdowns. Johnson also had a
productive day one game earlier against Montana State (10/24/09),
although EWU surrendered 592 yards of total offense in the 35-24
victory. He had 14 tackles (10 unassisted), including a sack, an
interception and a fumble recovery he returned 14 yards. He had 15
tackles in Eastern’s playoff-clinching win over Northern
Arizona (11/21/09). He was selected as the team’s defensive
player of the week against both Portland State and Sacramento State
(9/26/09) when he had four tackles and an interception he returned
33 yards for a touchdown. He wore EWU’s No. 10 jersey in 2009
in honor of his twin brother Zach Johnson, who was lost for the
season because of a blood clot that developed before the start of
preseason practices in August.

2008: Earned honorable mention All-Big Sky
Conference honors. Started all 11 games at strong safety. He and
his twin brother Zach combined for 179 tackles to rank 1-2 on the
team, with Matt closing the year with 83 tackles and a team-leading
four interceptions, and Zach finishing with 96 and a team-high
seven passes broken up. Matt had 83 total tackles to rank eighth in
the Big Sky (7.6 per game), and had four interceptions to rank 47th
in FCS and sixth in the league (0.36 per game). He had a team-high
10 tackles and an interception he returned 37 yards in his
collegiate debut against Texas Tech (8/30/08) to earn team
defensive player of the week honors. The interception of Graham
Harrell set-up EWU’s first touchdown of the day in the 49-24
loss to the 12th-ranked Red Raiders. In the same game, Zach
finished with eight tackles and three passes broken up. Matt had a
season-high 12 tackles late in the year against Northern Colorado
(11/8/08) in a game in which his brother had 15 tackles and an
interception. During spring practices, he suffered a concussion in
a collision with Aaron Boyce in EWU’s scrimmage on April 19,
and had to miss the Red-White Spring Game the next week. But Boyce
came out worse, suffering a shoulder injury on the play that
required surgery to repair his partially torn labrum.

2007: Redshirted. Along with his brother Zach,
he was selected as EWU’s Defensive Scout Team Player of the
Year. He was defensive scout team player of the week twice.

HS: Graduated from Tumwater HS in 2007.
Selected to play in the 2A/1A/2B/1B All-State Game. Named by the
Seattle Times as a “White Chip” selection as
one of the top 100 prospects in the state of Washington. Earned
second team 2A All-Evergreen League honors at defensive back,
despite missing five games due to injury. He still managed to rack
up 53 tackles, a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery
despite his limited playing time. He shared team captain and most
inspirational awards with his brother Zach following their senior
season. After a season-opening loss, Tumwater won 11-straight games
to advance to the semifinals of the State 2A Playoffs and finish
the season 11-2. Tumwater defeated Colville and EWU recruit John
Roberts 28-25 in the quarterfinals, then lost to eventual champion
Lynden 20-10 in the semifinals. Was listed among the “Seniors
to Watch” on Ron Siegel’s 2006 preseason All-State
team. As a junior, he earned All-Pac 9 League honors as a safety
when he finished with 54 tackles, three interceptions and two
forced fumbles. As a sophomore, he earned second team all-league
honors as a running back. He also played basketball and baseball.
As a senior in baseball, he helped lead his team to a district
title as he and his brother Zach both had two-run home runs in an
11-10 victory over Centralia in the championship game. Both were
first team All-Evergreen Conference selections as outfielders as
Tumwater finished 16-6 after advancing to the first round of the
State 2A Tournament.

Personal: Born 7/22/89 in Olympia, Wash. Matt
is the twin of his EWU teammate Zach Johnson. Mathematics education
major.